People often rely upon a directory service provider to obtain information. For example, it is possible to look up a business's phone number, address, or other relevant information such as business hours by calling a directory service provider or accessing the directory service provider's web-site. This type of business information can constitute a business listing. Although a business can provide its own business listing, a directory service provider can provide information for a large number of diverse business entities, thus providing an end user with relevant information in an expeditious and reliable manner.
The accuracy of information provided by a directory service provider is of primary importance in providing reliable information to the end user. In certain cases, a directory service provider builds its repository of directory listings by aggregating listings obtained from a variety of listing sources. Such aggregation of information can result in directory listings that contain incomplete, inaccurate, or conflicting information. For example, a business listing provided by a particular listing source can be incomplete in that it is missing in a phone number, street address, or other business information. Another listing provided may provide information about a business that no longer exists or has changed in some manner. In yet another example, a listing obtained from one listing source can contain information that conflicts with the information obtained from another listing source, making it more difficult to determine relative accuracy of the information.